Announcements

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Batteries 2022 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Lin Ma.

Self-introduction:

My name is Dr. Lin Ma, and currently, I am an assistant professor at UNC Charlotte, USA. It is my great honor to be given this award by Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105). I am originally from Lanzhou, Gansu, where energy is often an issue, especially in the winter. Therefore, I decided to conduct energy-related research in my career. My research interests focus on the use of electrochemical and materials engineering in energy storage systems to address energy and environmental challenges. My research includes the design and synthesis of novel electrode materials and electrolyte systems (including inorganic materials, organic materials and polymer materials), insights into fundamental reaction mechanism and kinetics, investigations of thermodynamics-electrode/electrolyte interfacial structure–property correlations, and the development of functional electrochemical devices.

The following is a short interview with Dr. Lin Ma:

1. What are you currently researching, and what made you choose this field?

My group currently focuses on sustaining energy storage technology. As we know, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in electric vehicles and grid applications to address global climate changes. But the amount of critical LIBs elements (e.g., lithium; cobalt; nickel) on earth is limited, which requires reusing these elements in a proper way to refurbish high-performance LIBs or developing “beyond-Li” battery technology.

2. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?

It is hard for me to predict the future. There are so many new and promising research directions people are pursuing. For example, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. It would be ideal to expand interdisciplinary research to address practical issues in the future.

3. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?

I believe the key element is to get exciting research results. It typically happens two to three times per year, but the excitement can last very long.

4. Have you had difficulties to overcome in your work? How did you approach those situations?

Sometimes it is very difficult to get any progress on my research. If this happens, I typically try to discuss it with other people to brainstorm the potential issues and solutions. Then, I will sit down and carefully select the proper strategies to overcome it.

5. What qualities do you think young scientists need?

Persistency, diligence, and self-motivation.

6. Batteries is an open access journal. How do you think open access impacts authors?

I believe open access means a lot to the readers. It can make a wide range of readers know the cutting-edge research results in time. It will also release the financial burden for the young research groups and help them to expose their research results to the whole community.

7. As the winner of this award, is there anything else you would like to say or anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank various funding agencies and fellowships for financial support during my career. I would like to thank Prof. Yong Yang from Xiamen University, China, who introduced me to the energy storage field and helped me through my career. I would also like to thank all the colleagues from Xiamen University.
I would like to thank Prof. Jeff Dahn from Dalhousie University, Canada, who supervised me over six years during my Ph.D. I would also like to thank all my colleagues from Dalhousie University.
I would like to thank Dr. Kang Xu (Army Research Lab), Dr. Oleg Borodin (Army Research Lab) and Prof. Chunsheng Wang (University of Maryland, USA), who supervised and guided me during my postdoc time. I would also like to thank colleagues from the Army Research Lab and the University of Maryland.
It is so fortunate to have a great research community in the field of energy storage. I do appreciate the support from the whole community.
Lastly, I would like to thank my family members for their strong support, especially from my wife, Yang.

With the first issue released in June 2023, five new MDPI journals disseminating multi-disciplinary science are due to launch, which will cover the subjects of medicine & pharmacology, biology and physical sciences.

The newly launched journals will be overseen by professional Editorial Board Members and Editors to ensure an accurate and rapid publication, rigorous peer review and broad visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal topics (selected)
	Prof. Dr. Jun Ma, Peking University, China| Editorial | view inaugural issue	growth and development; diet and nutrients; school health promotion policies and practices; child health and care; adolescent health and wellbeing | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Bernd Rehm, Griffith University, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	DNA and gene synthesis; synthetic transcription factors; protein engineering; viral engineering; metabolic engineering | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Varsha Gandhi, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	lymphatics; cancers associated with lymphocytes and lymphoblasts; lymphatic tissues; lymphoma; lymphoid leukemia | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Bradley Turner, University of Melbourne, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; primary lateral sclerosis; atherosclerosis; systemic sclerosis | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Clemens Burda, Case Western Reserve University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	Gamma ray, X-ray, and UV–Vis spectroscopies; NIR/mid-infrared/Raman spectroscopy; microwave and THz spectroscopy; high-resolution gas-phase atomic, molecular, and cluster spectroscopy; MS, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to submit an application to the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) if you would like to create more new journals.

It is our honor to congratulate the authors of the article below, which has been marked as a Hot Paper according to Web of Science data. We would like to congratulate the authors for producing such a high-quality paper. You are all welcome to read the article and forward this news to your colleagues.

“Thermal Modelling Utilizing Multiple Experimentally Measurable Parameters”
by Anosh Mevawalla, Yasmin Shabeer, Manh Kien Tran, Satyam Panchal, Michael Fowler and Roydon Fraser
Batteries 2022, 8(10), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries8100147
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/8/10/147

The 2022 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

We are thrilled to announce that 90% of our ranked MDPI journals, specifically 86 out of 96 (captured in the table below), are performing above average in Q1 or Q2. This year, Clarivate has expanded its Impact Factor (IF) awards to include journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), providing greater transparency for the full set of journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. As a result, 111 of MDPI journals have received their first IF in 2023, with 37 journals surpassing an IF of 3.0. In total, 208 MDPI journals have been honored with an IF.

Clarivate explains that by "expanding the coverage but holding to highly selective standards, the [Impact Factor] is now a reliable indicator of trustworthiness, as well as a measure of scholarly impact, at the journal level."

Please visit our blog post where we discuss the release of the latest citation metrics with our Indexing Manager, Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, to find out what's different this time around and how to make use of different metrics available.

Note: The Journal of Personalized Medicine's Impact Factor was omitted in the original release and will be assigned separately. Please find the data on the journal webpage in due course.

Source: 2022 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2023)

MDPI will be attending the 6th International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems (NENS 2023), held in Beijing, China, from 17 to 19 June 2023. Starting in 2014, NENS has been organized once every two years by the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences (BINN, CAS). The conference has attracted high-profile scholars from around the world to deliver plenary and invited talks. This conference will provide a platform for scientists to exchange scientific information, build relationships, and possibly establish collaborations. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Energies;
• Applied Sciences;
• Nanoenergy Advances;
• Machines;
• ChemEngineering;
• Electronics;
• Technologies;
• Nanomaterials;
• Batteries.

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: http://www.nens.cn/.

Conference: ACS Fall 2023
Organization: American Chemical Society
Date: 13–17 August 2023
Place: Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco, CA, USA
Booth: #845

MDPI journals will be attending ACS Fall 2023 Harnessing the Power of Data as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in San Francisco, CA, USA, from 13 to 17 August 2023.

American Chemical Society (ACS) is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations with more than 151,000 members in 140 countries. ACS Meetings & Expos are held biannually. This expo is an opportunity for thousands of chemistry professionals to meet, share ideas, and advance scientific and technical knowledge. The topic in Fall 2023 is “Harnessing the Power of Data”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Molecules;
• Batteries;
• Crystals;
• Molbank;
• Organics;
• Polymers;
• Separations;
• Analytica;
• Electrochem;
• Membranes;
• Nanomaterials;
• Solids;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Symmetry.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.acs.org/meetings/acs-meetings/fall-2023.html.

We are pleased to announce that Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105) will be granting the Travel Award to a junior scientist. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Batteries Editorial Board.

This award provides financial support for the winner to attend an international conference in the field of battery technology and materials, to be held in 2024, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate requirements:

• Postdoctoral fellows or Ph.D. students;
• Plans to attend an international conference in 2024 (oral presentation or poster).

Required application documents:

• Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted;
• CV and list of publications;
• Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words);
• Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/Ph.D. student.

The winner will be awarded an honorarium of CHF 500, an offer to publish a paper free of charge before 31 December 2024 in Batteries after peer review, and an electronic certificate.

Please submit your applications for the Batteries 2024 Travel Award at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/batteries/awards/2402 by 31 October 2023. Prizes will be awarded at the end of December 2023 and announced on the Batteries website.

Batteries Editorial Office

Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105) is currently accepting nominations for the 2023 Young Investigator Award. This prize will be given to one young investigator in recognition of their excellence in the field of research on battery technology and materials.

The prize includes:

• CHF 2000;
• Option to publish one paper free of charge in Batteries after peer review before the end of 31 December 2024;
• An electronic certificate.

Eligibility and requirements for candidates:

• Must have received their Ph.D. no more than 10 years prior to 31 December 2023;
• Must have produced ground-breaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of battery technology and materials;
• Must be nominated by senior scientists.

Nomination deadline: 30 September 2023.

You can find more information about this award and how to nominate here. To request further information, please contact the Batteries Editorial Office (batteries@mdpi.com).

It is our honor to congratulate the authors of the article below, which has been marked as a Highly Cited Paper according to Web of Science data. We would like to congratulate the authors for producing such a high-quality paper. You are all welcome to read the article and forward this news to your colleagues.

“Concept Review of a Cloud-Based Smart Battery Management System for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Feasibility, Logistics, and Functionality”
by Manh-Kien Tran, Satyam Panchal, Tran Dinh Khang, Kirti Panchal, Roydon Fraser and Michael Fowler
Batteries 2022, 8(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries8020019
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/8/2/19